How to Build Credibility With Proactive Reputation Marketing

There is no doubt that as we continue to move further into web 3.0 and the web continues to evolve, so does the expectation level of consumers when searching online for companies to do business with.

Just a short while ago all a local business needed to generate leads was to be ranked high in the search engines, namely Google, for the search terms that their potential customers were searching for.

Now, however, ranking high in the search engines isn’t enough as searchers have become more sophisticated and look for evidence, i.e. social proof, that a company is worthy of their money.

In the following article by Marcus Miller, he explains in detail how much consumers demand from online searches, especially when searching for a local business:

Online Reviews, Reputation And How To Become Super Credible

Marketing has changed for local businesses. The big, yellow books of yesterday are all but dead and buried. Today, searching for a local business will most likely start on a mobile device, and the selection process goes far beyond a simple print advert with some clever sales copy.

Customers can now tap into a rich tapestry of reviews, testimonials, case studies and social media to determine a businessâs credibility.

The local business landscape is more competitive than ever, and a positive reputation can be the key factor in standing out. Studies are now confirming that reviews are a trusted, critical component of generating business from local search with as many as 9 out of 10 users referring to reviews before contacting a local business.

Rather than go over the process of generating reviews, I want to detail a mindset we have used with businesses to build credibility that goes way beyond simple reviews. See full post here…

So as the previous article clearly made the case for working on generating positive customer reviews and being proactive in building your business’s credibility, the following post by Doug Kessler explains how we must avoid the temptation of making false claims in our marketing:

7 Ways to Be Insanely Honest in Your Marketing

In Velocityâs latest SlideShare, âInsane Honesty in Content Marketing,â we argue for a little-used but hugely powerful strategy: taking the worst attributes of your company, product or service â¦ and highlighting them for all to see.

I really, really, REALLY believe in this approach and Iâm amazed more brands donât practice it.

If you haven’t seen the SlideShare yet, check it out below. I’ll wait.

Now those were two distinct ways to market your business by leading with your reputation. But how do you know if you’re making any progress?

Well first off, you should see an increase in business! I mean if your reputation marketing is working, you should be able to quantify it by first seeing an increase in leads generated, and more importantly, conversions and sales.

Second, you can monitor the web for “brand mentions” so that you can be notified every time your business name is mentioned (for better or for worse) on the web or in social media:

5 Tools to Monitor Your Online Reputation

Do you know what people are saying about you?

Are you checking your companyâs social mentions daily?

Finding and addressing negative reviews and comments can be a challenge.

In this article Iâll share five tools that help you monitor what people are saying about your company, products and staff.

So there you have it. You’re now equipped with several unique ways to proactively manage your business reputation and have the ability to monitor the web for mentions or comments. You’re on your way to giving the more sophisticated, web 3.0 savvy consumer the validation they seek before making a purchasing decision. Reputation marketing will help you to stay competitive in today’s online business environment.